


The Coast of Love

by doridoripawaa



Category: Love Live! School Idol Project
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Merpeople, Alternate Universe - Pirate, F/F, How Do I Tag, Pirates and Mermaids, Shoujo-ai
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-18
Updated: 2017-10-02
Packaged: 2018-12-31 04:07:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,057
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12124191
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/doridoripawaa/pseuds/doridoripawaa
Summary: "You're a lousy pirate, you know that?"Of course Eli knew that. She had known for years. Nonetheless, being told so bluntly still brought her heart sinking down like an anchor. The words were especially painful coming from her. "Oh, and what makes you an expert?" she asked, trying to keep the mood light-hearted.The mischievous mermaid chuckled softly before swimming in a large circle around her. "Aren't pirates supposed to be greedy? They'll force anyone and everyone out of their way to get what they want."Eli rolled her eyes before laughing as well. "Ah, so you're a pirate expert now, Nozomi. Legends and lore have taught you well... or was it your fortune telling? I'm full of avarice. Surely you know about all of the treasures I've obtained." She barely suppressed a gasp as Nozomi suddenly stopped right in front of her face. The mermaid's soft, smooth hands reached out to gently caress her chin, and the pirate captain could feel her blood pounding inside her ears."That's not what I'm talking about," Nozomi whispered as she pulled her face closer to Eli's, her eyes suddenly glowing with wisdom beyond her years. "I mean you're a pirate who isn't even greedy enough to pursue her own dreams."





	1. Chapter 1

The open sea had always felt more welcoming than the confines of land.

Cool breezes caressed her face while she traversed the seas, far gentler than the stale gazes that seemed to pinch her fine features after it fought its way over hills and through trees. When she lowered herself to sleep at night, the rhythmic lull of the waves rocked her to sleep in a manner of which no rocking chair or swinging hammock could compare, as long as its base stood on solid ground. The salty spray that tickled her cheeks when she stood out on the deck filled her with energy, either helping her start her day off properly or lifting her spirits when hours of fatigue tugged down on her bones.

Nonetheless, she knew the importance of returning to civilized land every now and then. Many members of her crew had friends and family—herself included—and those who neglected to stay in touch with the world were liable to be forgotten by it.

Aside from those general concerns, Eli Ayase had other responsibilities weighing upon her shoulders, and she had the duty to attend to them. Still, part of her wished she could spin her ship’s wheel around and head in the opposite direction, back out to sea. Even though she knew most of the residents of this particular island would be delighted to see her crew, she could not shake her discomfort about being unable to live up to certain expectations.

"Captain!"

The chipper, clear voice began to chase her negative thoughts away as soon as it reached her ears. Eli turned her head slightly, keeping the path in front of her within her peripheral vision, to nod at the approaching young woman. “Rin,” she responded with a smile. Her first mate’s wide grin sparkled brightly, and her bright ginger locks seemed to dance like flames beneath the sunlight, capturing its warmth to radiate to all of those around her on earth. Rin was like a miniature sun, effectively brightening Eli’s mood.

Rin hopped up to where she could stand beside the ship’s wheel, so that Eli could shift her focus back to the water in front of them. “Isn’t this weather amazing, Captain?” She closed her eyes and stretched her arms out wide, as if trying to take in all of nature at once. “The sun is shining, the sky is blue, and this breeze is sooo refreshing~!” She opened her eyes again to look back at her captain. “That’s a good omen, right?”

Before Eli could respond, a high-pitched voice sounded from far above. Both girls on the deck tilted their heads back to gaze up at the source. A long-haired girl peered down at both of them from the crow’s nest, pouting slightly. “You shouldn’t say that aloud, Rin!” she scolded gently. “The weather is really fickle, after all. It looks good right now, but…” She trailed off, as if uncomfortable with continuing. A round, white bird on her shoulder began to nuzzle into her cheek affectionately, trying to reassure her.

“You’re absolutely right, Kotori,” Eli agreed. “That’s why we have you up there to monitor the skies for us, right? You have the best eyes out of anyone I’ve ever met.” That was no exaggeration; the lass had eyes like a hawk, perhaps even sharper.

These words seemed to encourage Kotori and fill her with a renewed strength and sense of purpose. She knew that Eli was never one to mince words nor utter falsehoods, instead preferring to be honest and deliberate in her speech. “Aye aye, Captain!” she chirped with a sweet smile, and the little bird on her shoulder peeped happily as well. They both turned their gaze outwards once more, and if Eli’s ears didn’t deceive her, they were humming softly.

Eli turned her attention to Rin, worried she’d be embarrassed, but if the bright-eyed girl had been discouraged, her appearance certainly didn’t reveal it. “Good point,” she conceded, and then her gaze drifted off to the side. “The weather can be more fickle than even Nico! Nya ha ha!”

“Hah?!” A cry of indignation sounded from the other side of the deck, and Eli lifted a hand to stifle her laughter as a petite, dark-haired girl came storming up to the helm of the ship. “What is _that_ supposed to mean?” She raised the end of her mop and waved it aggressively in Rin’s face. “I am loyal and devoted! I was born on the Ayase family’s island, and I’m sailing with the S.S. Otonokizaka ‘til the day I die!”

“I know you’re loyal!” Rin assured her, chuckling as she ducked out of the way of Nico’s mop with remarkable agility. “But you go from a sweetheart to a savage before I can even draw my gun! Nya ha ha!” She batted at one of Nico’s twintails before jumping out of the way, giggling excitedly.

“Get back here! I swear, you’re like a cat!” Nico hissed, dropping her mop in her pursuit of the feisty first mate. Eli could hear the swishing of chains and belts, and hair and feathers danced before her vision as the two chased each other in circles around her and the wheel.

Initially, Eli had hoped that the two would quickly work this foolish behavior out of their systems; they probably were growing antsy as they headed for solid land. Much to her dismay, they continued fooling around for quite a while, and with every passing second Eli tightened her grip on the steering wheel in frustration until her hands began to grow numb. “That’s enough!” Her patience worn out, the captain whipped around to bark at her two unruly crewmates. Nico let out a squeal and screeched to a halt as her captain’s long, blonde ponytail smacked into her face. Rin skidded to a stop beside her, looking unsettled for the first time that day. “Is this how you plan to behave? Is this how you plan to represent our crew?” A nagging voice at the back of her mind added, _‘Is this how you plan to represent me?’_

The fear flickering in their eyes made it clear to Eli that these lasses had realized how inappropriate their actions had been. After all, their level-headed, cool, mature captain rarely to never snapped at anyone. Rin stood with her gaze fixed on the ground, head and shoulders slouched forward, as if she were tucking her tail between her legs. Nico tried to maintain her poise, but she was unable to look up from her boots. “If you’re done romping around like children,” she continued, glaring icy daggers at them even though they refused to meet her eyes, “I’d like to speak to Rin in my quarters. Nico, take over the steering, would you?”

Now both girls popped their heads up and exclaimed in unison, “Aye aye!” Eli didn’t step back until she saw Nico place both of her hands firmly on the wheel. Once she set the raven-haired girl on the proper course, she spun on her heel to face Rin. After ensuring that Nico wasn’t looking in their direction, she mouthed the word, _“Sword”_ , at her first mate, who nodded in understanding.

Before they reached the staircase leading to the lower deck where Eli’s personal quarters were located, Nico spoke again. “Hey Captain, are you nervous?” She never shifted her gaze from the sea before her, but her tone revealed that her attention was fully focused on the captain’s reply. “You know… I can’t think of a single village in the world that wouldn’t be happy to see someone who’s bringing as much gold to their markets as you are. So keep your chin up, okay?”

The blonde could feel her cheeks growing hot, and a somber smile found its way onto her lips. From time to time, she could hear her crewmates whispering about how enigmatic she was. Aloof. Mysterious. When it came to Otonokizaka Island, though…was she that easy to read? “Keep up the good work, Nico.”

 

* * *

 

“One! Two! Thr-” Rin cut herself off as she bit her lip, wincing as she watched the display in front of her.

“Three!” Eli finished, swinging her arm downward with as much force as she could muster. A loud _thunk_ echoed dully across the room as the sharp edge of her sword collided with the dummy, embedding itself firmly into its wooden body. Triumphantly, she removed her sword, and she wiped the long sleeve of her dress along her forehead to clear it of sweat. Finally she turned to face Rin, eyes glittering with excitement and hope. “Well? Did I blow you away?”

Rin chuckled softly, although Eli wasn’t exactly sure why. Was it out of pride, or was she trying to conceal embarrassment? “You were really close!” she told her with a warm smile. “The first two hits looked good, but could you show me that last one again?”

With an obedient nod, Eli turned to face the dummy once again. She could feel the sweat beading on her forehead once again as she envisioned the sequence of strikes in her mind. Once she felt comfortable, she mimed through the techniques of the first two strikes. Suddenly she let out a sharp cry and grabbed the hilt of her sword with both hands to add power to her move.

“Freeze!”

In the heat of the moment, Rin had cut her off, and now Eli stood with both hands above her head in a daze. “Huh?” Despite the lack of warning and the awkward position in which she found herself, the blonde nevertheless kept her arms and legs in the exact same place where she had left them. She could feel her muscles trembling as Rin walked in a slow, meticulous circle around her, examining every aspect of her form. Holding a sword over her head for an extended period of time was _not_ an easy task.

“Nyow I see,” she murmured softly. “Okay, when you pull your left hand up to join the right at the hilt, you also drag your foot back. Did you notice that?” She jumped into position beside Eli, trying to show her how to place her feet. “This is the stance you want. Otherwise I can just…” She tapped Eli’s shoulder, and the blonde began to sway. In a panic, she stepped to the side and lowered her sword, fearing she would topple over and impale herself otherwise. “… push you over! Nya ha ha, sorry to scare you.” She rubbed the back of her head, blushing slightly.

Looking slightly defeated, Eli slid her sword back into its loop on her belt. “Hey Rin,” she began suddenly. The orange-haired girl perked up, confused by the sudden change in her captain’s disposition. “Am I really improving?” She knew that was a loaded question, but it was one that had been tugging at her mind, and her heart, ever since she had started training with her first mate.

Actually, that question had been haunting her waking and sleeping thoughts ever since she was old enough to grasp a weapon in her hands.

“Slowly, but surely!” Rin declared confidently. Perhaps she could be a little too playful or immature, but Eli knew that nobody was as honest as Rin, except for maybe Eli herself. She was also valiant, talented, and undoubtedly steadfast in her devotion. Rin’s word wasn’t just a promise; it was a vow, only to be broken if death did them part.

 _‘Then why do I still practice against a dummy? Am I still not good enough for a moving target? An actual sparring partner?’_ Although these thoughts swirled viciously in her head, begging to be uttered, she kept them to herself for now. The blonde trusted the pace that Rin had set, and she knew that her first mate would take her to the next step as soon as she was ready. Eli began to trace the etched lines along the wooden dummy, revealing the constant hours of blood, sweat, and tears that the two of them had poured into this training. Every slash and gash told a story. When would these grueling, introductory chapters come to an end? When would the happily ever after come? “I hope it’ll be enough.”

 

* * *

 

“Land ahoy!”

Upon hearing Kotori’s cry from above, Eli pulled out her telescope to confirm the situation for herself. The docks of her familiar home island were in fact coming into view. However, something she didn’t recognize also popped out of her, causing a wrinkle to form in her brow.

“It’s awful! This is awful!” A frenzied shout sounded from a rather soft-looking pirate who came scrambling up to where Eli stood. “K-Kotori… Kotori said…” She knelt over and rested her hands on her knees, struggling to catch her breath.

Eli reached out to place a comforting hand on the anxious girl’s shoulder. “Hanayo, take a moment to breathe. We aren’t under attack, are we?” She certainly didn’t hear the sounds of battle anywhere nearby.

Hanayo shook her head, and she took in a deep breath of air before pulling herself back to an upright position. “N-no, Captain,” she reported. “Kotori said… Kotori said there’s a ship at our dock.”

The captain tilted her head to the side, causing the cyan ribbons on her hat to flash in front of her face. “Well, local merchants constantly come in and out of our port to do business, right?” Seeing other boats or small ships wasn’t unusual for Otonokizaka Island. Unless… “Did she see a _pirate_ ship?”

The brunette before her nodded feebly.

A soft sigh escaped Eli’s lips; she tried to conceal her worry by forcing some frustration into her tone. “We will simply drop anchor right next to them,” she declared. “I’ll have a word with the captain promptly.” Part of her wanted to believe that these mystery voyagers were new to the area and didn’t realize that their actions qualified as a challenge. The rest of her knew that was nothing more than wishful thinking.

 

* * *

 

“Who do you think _you_ are?”

Eli blinked in amazement as a tiny girl strode up to her, nostrils flaring and eyes burning with determination. A voice in the back of her head reminded her that small in stature did not necessarily equate with small in spirit; it was actually Nico’s voice, rather than her own, that seemed to speak up from the depths of her mind. “This island is my territory,” she stated coolly. She cast a quick glance behind her to see other members of her crew heading towards her, trying to pick out Rin from among the crowd. If this midget wanted to fight, she’d want her battle-seasoned first mate by her side. “Otonokizaka Island encompasses—”

“ _Your_ territory?” the tiny pirate snarled. “You think you can just show up and claim a whole area for yourself? Let’s see you fight for it, then!”

Fight for it? Right now? Eli cast another short glance to her side, and relief washed over her as Rin walked up to stand by her side. The orange-haired girl placed her hand on top of Eli’s, and she nodded briskly. That was her signal. She believed that Eli could take this girl on in a duel and win it. “Very well. Let’s go down to the beach so as not to disturb the townsfolk, though.”

A visible shiver ran down the opposing pirate’s spine. Judging from her reaction, she hadn’t actually expected her bold, foolish offer to be accepted without argument. “A-all right! Let me go find my captain and let her know you accept!”

Now it was Eli’s turn to feel terror creep along her skin and freeze her blood in its tracks. Luckily, years of practice had helped her learn how to maintain an outward persona of confidence. Her face stayed as stoic and cold as ever, and she kept her chin high, but Rin could probably feel that her hands were trembling. “How about I speak to your captain first, hmm? Assuming she doesn’t need you to make her decisions for her.” Assuming that she was more level-headed than her subordinates, too.

“Y-you’re in luck! She’s shopping in town right now! I’ll take you to her, if you think you’re brave enough!”

As much as Eli wanted to point out that this brat was the only one whose courage should be questioned, she decided to be courteous and simply nodded. After all, as the heir of this territory, she had to set an example. “Kotori, Honoka, bring the loot. Looks like our plans for trading are still underway.”

Eli, Rin, and about half of her crew continued after the feisty young lass before them, keeping their eyes peeled for any pirates they didn’t recognize. The blonde could put a name to just about every face on Otonokizaka Island itself, and she was even familiar with many of the major merchants of neighboring islands. Ever since her grandmother’s grand conquests decades ago, Otonokizaka’s territory had expanded to include not only this small island, but also most of Akihabara, Kanda, and Jinbouchou islands as well. Her family was famous in the Tokyo region for their intimidating presence, their navigational skills, their many relics and treasures, their beauty, and their bravery in battle.

Too bad the heir to the S.S. Otonokizaka would probably shoot a hole through the floorboards if given a gun, and she could slice fruit better than she could slice her enemies. Arrows were a lost cause as well, Rin determined after the captain ruined their sail by tearing a huge hole through it. She managed to keep the respect of her crew by her decision-making skills, her authoritative demeanor, her organization, and her compassion, but they had no idea that she was useless in battle. Eli didn’t regret the life she was born into; she loved the sea. However, given the choice, she’d prefer to spend all of her days searching for gold, jewelry, and ancient artifacts. She’d rather read books on archaeology than battle technique.

Some familiar faces waved at her from behind their stalls in the marketplace, although the citizens seemed to be more timid today than usual. Whoever these invading pirates were, they had shaken the town to its core. “It’s her,” Eli breathed. “That has to be their captain.”

A young woman about her age had been handing in some gold for produce, when suddenly she turned to look at the group approaching her. Her short brown hair was similar to Hanayo’s, except she had a noticeably large forehead that even her majestic cap couldn’t conceal. Fire glowed in her green eyes, though, far more dazzling than any gem Eli had ever seen before, and hunting gems was her specialty. “Guarding the port, I see?” she said to the youngster from her crew. “Excellent work. Mind taking these fruits and herbs back to Erena while I chat here?” Once the girl took the burden off of her captain’s hands and went scrambling back downhill towards her ship, the emerald-eyed girl turned back towards Eli. “Pleasure to meet you. I’m Tsubasa Kira, the captain of the S.S. A-Rise. I don’t recognize you, but you’re clearly pirates.” Once she stepped closer, Eli noticed how much shorter she was; again, though, Nico and the lively sprite from earlier were perfect examples of why she should never judge by size.

Eli removed her black glove and extended a cordial hand towards Tsubasa. Even on a normal day, every action she took was under extreme scrutiny by the inhabitants of this island, and right now she had no doubt in her mind that she and the captain opposite her were the center of attention. “Eli Ayase, captain of the S.S. Otonokizaka.” Considering the small girl’s reaction, she must have realized the connection between the name of the ship and the name of this island. Her eyes grew wide, but their glimmering depths betrayed no other emotion. In fact, if Eli didn’t know any better, she would say that Tsubasa was… amused?

“Otonokizaka,” the brunette repeated. She nodded slowly, and she spoke the name again, allowing it to roll off of her tongue. “Otonokizaka. Well, Captain Ayase, the pleasure is mine.” She accepted Eli’s handshake with a small smirk. “I suppose you’re here to ask me to leave your territory.”

The taller girl shook her head. “I’ll never turn away someone who wants to do business. I see you’ve been doing a lot of trading, with a lot of gold.” Her eyes drifted to the change purse on Tsubasa’s hip, and the other girl laughed before swinging her belt around so that her funds were situated behind her, where Eli could not reach.

“Excellent. I think I’ll stay for a while, then. You know…” Suddenly she pulled her hand back and used it to tip her hat back, and her eyes traveled up and down the girl before her, perhaps sizing her up. “We’ve come from Akihabara Island, and I must say, we were surprised to see that nobody was guarding this island. We’ve been here for a couple of days, as a matter of fact.”

A lump began to form in Eli’s throat. How long was “a couple of days”? Her crew hadn’t made a stop here in over a month, and she knew that her grandmother had retired to their Russian territories while her mother sailed the seas in that area. Tsubasa and the A-Rise could have been here for two weeks, and Eli would have been none the wiser. Of course, her family had servants situated around the island, but what were servants other than failed pirates? “I wouldn’t be much of a pirate if I constantly stayed ashore like some landlubber,” Eli replied icily, lifting her nose in a show of superiority. This caused Tsubasa to raise an eyebrow, but she didn’t respond immediately. Eli was perhaps being a bit forceful and cocky in trying to mark her territory, but being passive certainly wouldn’t get her anywhere. This girl was surprisingly polite and tactful, but she had a strong will, and she probably had the skills to back up her confidence.

“Fair enough,” Tsubasa conceded. “When you put it that way, I guess I shouldn’t stay too long. Just long enough to decide who gets to keep this island, hmm?”

Was she joking? Panic began to rise inside Eli like water in a boat that had sprung a leak. It would weigh her and drown her if she couldn’t find her way to a steady rock first. Luckily, she still had Rin by her side and her crew behind her, forming the perfect support system to lift her up so she wouldn’t sink. “What are you proposing?”

“A duel. What else?” Getting straight to the point now, Tsubasa folded her arms over her chest. “As I mentioned, we’re from Akihabara. Our island has been under your family’s sovereignty since before my mother was born. We’d like to expand our range.” She suddenly reached behind her to pull her coin purse out once more. “However, I would like to finish my trading first. My crew needs some supplies. I see you have some business as well; that’s quite a lot of gold you have there.” Her tone remained level, but envy seemed to flicker in her eyes, almost disguised by their natural green glow. Almost. “I’m sure you’re exhausted, too. You just docked today, right? There’s no pride in defeating a weakened opponent, especially for something as valuable as an entire island.” A small stride brought her close enough to Eli to be able to whisper, “Plus, I’d never get these people’s approval if I defeated you at half your energy. I can see on their faces that they really respect you. If a captain doesn’t have the support of her crew, is she a captain at all?” With a sly smile, she leaped back to her original position. “Unless you’re dying to fight me now, how about we meet right here tomorrow? At sunhigh?”

Numbly, Eli nodded. “Sunhigh,” she echoed. “We’ll meet here and go to the beach…” Her mouth moved on its own, explaining her reasons for the location, while her thoughts rattled in her brain. A duel? Tomorrow? Against a captain? Surely, there had to be some other way! She waved to bid Tsubasa farewell, trying to maintain her composure. Right away, Rin began to speak words to the crew behind her, but Eli couldn’t discern them. Right now, she could hardly tell which way was up. “Rin…” she whispered softly. “Let me spar against you. Please.”

Rin hesitated. She had remained silent while the two captains spoke, but clearly she was brimming over with emotion and concerns of her own. “I… I can’t allow you to do that, Captain,” she murmured.

“Then what do I do?” Eli hissed back, fear rising in her throat. She felt herself sinking again.

“ _We_ will think of something,” Rin insisted firmly. Her sharp tone snapped the older girl’s attention back to the present, and she turned to face her. Rin’s golden eyes, normally dancing with sunlight, now burned with the sun’s flames. “Let’s go back to your ship and let the others do the trading.” Her gaze softened, once again twinkling with warmth. “You saved me, Captain. I’m going to find a way to save you.”

 

* * *

 

_“Do you see this map, Elicchika? Point to a spot on it. Any spot you like.” A child’s stubby finger poked an image of a palm tree on the old parchment sprawled out before her._

_“Excellent. That’s going to be yours one day. Pick another.” Again, the girl pointed to the map, this time opting for an image of a shrine. “That will be yours too, my dear.”_

_Everywhere the child pointed, the old woman told her that that spot would belong to her. “The sea, the sky, the land… It belongs to my crew, and in the future it will belong to you. You will be a legend, my dear. I see it in your eyes, my clever, cute Elicchika. That’s why your dazzling eyes are the color of the winter sea. You’re going to train hard so you can claim what’s yours, isn’t that right?” The child nodded enthusiastically, causing the blonde bun atop her head to bob up and down. “That’s right. I know you would never let me down.”_


	2. Chapter 2

Moon. Water. Female. Present. Love.

Love?

The young woman narrowed her eyes as she tentatively inched forward, being careful not to disturb the glittering array of stones sprawled out before her. Closer examination confirmed that the pebble representing love was, in fact, in the spot where she believed she saw it.

This wasn't the first time that the mermaid's lithomancy had revealed "love" to be in her near future. However, "near future" usually constituted a couple of weeks, and by the time she performed her next round of fortune-telling for the month, the signal had already been pushed away. A variety of factors could contribute to the sudden appearance and disappearance of a strong reading for love: it could represent familial love, passion for her craft, or perhaps unexpected compassion and gratitude from a visitor. Sometimes the chance for love simply faded away, as time and events proceeded so that the universe's original plan was thrown off track.

For the love stone to land directly next to the present stone, though, was clearly no coincidence. One familiar, skeptical voice tried to whisper words of doubt in the back of her mind, but she had never truly heeded it.

Although, that brief exasperated echo did remind her that she had yet to pay an important visit to a dear friend today.

She took one last glance over the stones before swimming up higher into her room. With a mighty pound of her thick, glimmering tail, she created a wave that sent her stones hurtling into a cubby along the side of her wall. Touching them by hand so soon after casting them could disrupt the flow of spiritual energy and render her telling virtually useless; besides, picking them up one by one was so tedious.

Casually she floated over to a coral dresser in the corner of her room, with stone drawers on its top half and coral cubbies on the bottom, formed by the natural gaps in the material. She lowered herself until she was eye-level with the cubbies, and then she carefully reached her hand into a crevice that was a slightly deeper shade of red than the rest of the pink and orange structure. When she extracted her hand a moment later, she was holding a small, leafy bundle. Tentatively she placed it in the palm of her hand, and she furrowed her brow as she tried to decide whether the package weighed enough. 'This should be fine,' she decided at last and began to head for the exit.

'I almost forgot!' With a panicked flip of her tail, she hastily swam over to a large pool of water beside her dresser. The surface of the pool rippled slightly as she stumbled to a halt before it, but the surface remained smooth enough for her to get a clear view of her face. After brushing out a couple of tangled locks, she delicately placed a shell headdress atop her head of long purple curls. She had been so preoccupied with the morning's fortune-telling that she had suffered a brief lapse in her memory; while in the privacy of her own room, it was unnecessary, any public outing demanded that she don the accessory as a marker of her status. While the Nishikino family would certainly recognize and accept her without it-- she was practically a second daughter to them-- the rest of the town was liable to forget her connection with such affluent merfolk. After all, wasn't she just the crazy mystic? The girl who claimed she had "spiritual power" and spoke to stars, stones, and shells? Isn't that why her parents abandoned her?

Forcibly pushing these negative rumors—and they were nothing more than rumors—out of her mind for now, she glanced over herself one last time in the mirror pool. Feeling confident once again, she headed over to the curtain of shells and seaweed that covered the entrance to her room. As she pushed them aside and swam out into the open sea, the fierce sunlight caught her off guard and momentarily dazzled her. The sun was this high already? Maki was definitely going to scold her for being late.

* * *

 

“You’re late, Nozomi.”

She didn’t need to consult the stars to predict _that_  kind of reception.

“I can always count on my best friend for a warm welcome!” Nozomi gave the red-haired mermaid before her an overly exaggerated smile. “Much better than a ‘hello, Nontan! It’s nice to see you!’” She chuckled and swam up to Maki’s bedside table to drop off her leaf-wrapped package.

“Maybe next time I’ll just leave without your help,” Maki declared with a huff. She cast the older girl an irritated sideways glance, but it soon turned into a resigned eye roll. “I guess it’s not really a big deal,” she mumbled as she began to pull her hair back into a bun. A sharp squeal of terror escaped her as a sudden pressure fell upon her shoulders and a dark shadow fell on top of her from behind. Her comb fell to the ground with a clatter.

Nozomi poked her head out from behind Maki’s crimson curls, grinning mischievously. “Okay then! No more salt scrub for you!” she announced. Letting loose a soft giggle, she let go of the younger girl and leaned over to grab the fallen hair comb. She swam up next to Maki to pass it into her slender fingers, and then turned toward her mirror so that they could stare at their reflection together, side by side. “Sorry, sorry, I was doing my lithomancy this morning,” she told her. “And I shouldn’t tease you so much when I know you have a rough day ahead,” she conceded as well.

Maki just shrugged and picked up a new seaweed hair tie, since she had dropped her earlier one when Nozomi suddenly sprang up behind her. “Like I said, it’s not really a big deal. It’s still pretty early.” Now that the flush had left her face and her breathing had steadied, she almost seemed calm as she brushed her hair methodically. Almost.

“Then why do you seem so worried?” Nozomi murmured. Hesitation flickered across the other girl’s violet eyes, and with a knowing smile the older mermaid took a seat on the dresser top, careful not to lean back onto the mirror. “Even if your fancy mother of pearl mirror doesn’t show it, I can tell something’s bothering you.” Her tone started out somewhat didactic, but it softened with her next words. “You can tell me anything, you know?”

Maki, unlike most other merfolk, did not like to talk merely for the sake of hearing her own voice. In fact, she kept her words to a minimum; most of her expression came from other, more subtle features, such as blush on her cheeks, a pout on her lips, or the way she nervously twirled her hair around her finger like she was doing right now. “I’m going to Otonokizaka Island today,” she mumbled. Nozomi’s eyes widened but she said nothing, waiting for further details. She knew when to give Maki a push and when to give her time; that was probably one of the reasons why the moody mermaid actually didn’t mind her company. “I don’t like going so far, but being the center island—you knew that was the center island, right?” Nozomi nodded to confirm, so Maki continued. “It gets the widest variety of supplies since it’s the center island. Normally I’d wait for some merchants and traders to bring some of the materials over to Kanda Island, but apparently a ship showed up the other day, so I want to grab the medicine we need before it’s all gone…”

Nodding slowly in understanding, Nozomi glided over to one of Maki’s beanbag chairs and dragged it over so she could sit and face her troubled friend. “A ship?” she echoed as she nestled herself into the chair’s warm embrace. Her experience with the surface world was actually nonexistent, so sometimes she couldn’t always make connections as rapidly as Maki would hope. However, every merchild who had ever pumped water through their gills had heard the tales of the cursed crusaders who contaminated their community, threatening their peace and their way of life: pirates. If Maki had used any other word, such as canoe, boat, or kayak, the connotations would be entirely different, but “ship” only referred to pirates. The dreadful demons would slice through the seas in their bulky, splintering wooden ships, hooting and hollering without any concern for the ones who dwelled below. Aside from disturbing the merfolk in the underwater city, they would disrupt fish, turtles, sharks, and dolphins without a care in the world. Their haughty, self-centered behavior was absolutely deplorable, and their countless dastardly deeds had built up their infamous reputation.

At least, those were the stories passed through the generations of mermen and mermaids. Nozomi did not doubt that they were true, but pirates rarely passed through this territory these days. She could probably count on her fingers the number of pirate ships she had seen in her lifetime. Additionally, unlike many of the smaller creatures that pirates encountered, the merfolk had an effective defense against them.

That tactic only worked while in the sea, though.

“Are you going alone?” That was the aspect of this whole endeavor that perplexed Nozomi the most. The Nishikinos weren’t so reckless as to send their teenage daughter, their one and only heir, to a pirate-infested island on her own. At least, they wouldn’t send her if they didn’t think she was capable of handling the task.

“N-not exactly,” Maki stammered, as if reading her friend’s mind. “My mother will swim to the edge of the island with me, but I will be going ashore and doing all transactions on my own.” She tried to shrug it off as if she weren’t concerned, as if the expedition were nothing more than a swim in the park, but her eyes were dodgy and she was resting a hand on her shoulder as if searching for a loose curl, but every scarlet strand of hair was pulled back tightly. Had she deliberately chosen a bun so that she couldn’t resort to her nervous habit during what was bound to be a difficult day? “I’ll have to do it all on my own someday, of course.”

Of course. Neither of them wanted to address the topic, but Maki already had her future laid out ahead of her. She would become the prestigious town doctor, inheriting the hospital from her parents. Her brilliant mind and delicate hands were well trained and well prepared for the responsibility, but what about her fickle heart? Another possibility remained, though, and that was even more terrifying. “Do they want you to live on the surface… permanently?” The subject was normally taboo, but the current situation was so peculiar that it begged the question. Even though their time together would be significantly reduced once Maki inherited her prestigious position, at least they could take solace in the fact that they would still be together in the same town. If Maki were to depart for the surface world, however, they wouldn’t even breathe the same oxygen.

“The topic hasn’t come up.” Maki avoided her gaze, instead fixating on the scattered shells and seaweed ribbons scattered atop her dresser.

The tension in the room weighed heavily on the pair, so thick that the room felt more like it was full of jelly than water. Trying to lighten the mood, Nozomi swam over to Maki’s bed and rested her chin on a large plush lobster with a big belly and a jolly grin. “They wouldn’t!” she declared rather confidently, which seemed to catch Maki by surprise. “If you lived on land, who would clean up the living room for Sandy Claws every year?”

Maki jerked upright and floated right out of her chair. “Don’t joke about that!” she blurted out, her face as red as a tomato. “Sandy Claws will be able to see me wherever I am,” she added, more quietly this time; she seemed to be embarrassed by her sudden outburst. “You should hope I’m still around to keep the hydrothermal vent clear, because your Christmas presents come to my house, too!” Nozomi laughed, and much to her delight, Maki cracked a chuckle too. Even though the beautiful, bright young lady could come off as cold and unfeeling to some, she had a really sweet, thoughtful side to her that was absolutely charming. More than once, Nozomi had wondered what had led someone as magnificent as Maki to take a liking to the mystic, the “quack”, the affection-starved girl without any parents. Despite their differences, they brought out the best in each other; Maki was a major reason why she was able to smile, and Nozomi was one of the only people that the moody girl seemed to open up around. Even when Maki wouldn’t speak up, Nozomi was perceptive enough to understand what she was thinking, and she believed that _all_ of the Nishikino family appreciated her for that. Maybe the young mermaids were more alike than they realized; they were both lonely and lost in their own way.

Maki headed over to her bedside table to pick up her package of sea salt scrub, and then she carefully slid over her bed to Nozomi’s side. “Um… thank you,” she mumbled. “My legs would not be able to handle the air up there without this.”

“What’s this? _The_ Maki Nishikino is thanking me? The gods have really blessed me today!” Nozomi exclaimed, adding a theatrical hand flourish and a precarious lean towards Maki’s bed as if she were about to pass out on it.

The rich girl’s face had finally returned to its normal shade, but now she had lit up as red as her hair all over again. “W-what are you saying?!” she stammered. “Ugh! I don’t understand!” She flicked her tail in front of the purple-haired girl’s face, and although the corners of her mouth were currently set in a stern pout, they were definitely trying to twitch upwards into a shy little smile.

“I’m just stating a fact!” The older girl headed for the door as well, having no reason to stay if her friend departed. “Speaking of which, I’m headed to the Kanda Shrine now. I’ll pray for your safety.” Sensing Maki’s hesitation, Nozomi winked at her and whispered, “Don’t worry, I’ll put in a good word for you. I’m pretty lucky, you know~”

* * *

 

_Moon._

Even with her hands clasped before the sunken shrine, her heart and soul pouring out before the gods, Nozomi couldn’t shake her anxiety. Was she worried for Maki’s sake as she journeyed for medical supplies, or was something in her subconscious tugging at the corners of her mind?

_Water._

Maybe she should take a small break before heading back to her home. She had placed a sign out front of her fortune-telling room to let any potential visitors know that she was out, after all. Turning her head up to gaze at the sky far above the waves, she began to flap her tail vigorously and reach for the sun.

_Female._

With thoughts weighing heavily on her mind and breath hanging harshly in her throat, she burst through the surface of the waves and took a deep breath of fresh air. Carefully she crawled up onto a large rock, presumably part of the shrine’s old base before it fell into the ocean depths.

_Present._

She needed to lift this extra pressure from her chest. Staring out at Kanda Island a few yards away, the mystic began to hum softly to herself. Every now and then, a breath of fresh air could be cathartic, too.

_Love._

Nevertheless, Nozomi doubted she could get used to such a feeling. She didn’t see it in her future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little more world-building this chapter! Here's a glimpse at what happens under the sea!
> 
> Now all we need is for the surface and ocean worlds to collide...~

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This chapter was primarily setting the scene and giving some background for this world, but I hope it's a world you're as excited to read about as I am excited to write about!


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